


Holding Onto Hope

by SinzutheGreat



Series: Hopetale [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Asriel Dreemurr Lives, Spoilers - Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-27 00:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8379811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinzutheGreat/pseuds/SinzutheGreat
Summary: Just a little something about Asriel's existence after the Pacifist ending.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this as a contest entry on Amino. (If you use Amino, I'm also there. If you, y'know, want to see my stuff somewhere else...) And since it's something I wrote that's also good, I figured I should post it here, too. Enjoy.
> 
> Obviously, this isn't canon to [CONTINUE]. If you're waiting for the next chapter of that, don't worry, it's coming.

They'd finally done it. Frisk had broken the Barrier, freed monsterkind, and created a new life for everyone on the Surface. It wasn't even a full week before everyone left the Underground.

...Almost everyone.

There was still one monster left, who knew he couldn't be with everyone on the Surface. No matter how much he wanted to go there, to see his family again, and live in the world he'd only dreamed of... he couldn't. Not anymore.

Asriel had resigned himself to this fate. It couldn't be long until what little soul he had left would run out, and he'd stop being himself. That was why he stayed; He couldn't go be with everyone, only to become the unfeeling _thing_ that could kill them all out of boredom.

Besides... someone had to keep Chara company.

"That's... seven days," the monster said to himself, as he tore another page off the calendar. "It can't be much longer now..."

He'd been trying to hold onto himself as best he could. He did everything he could to remember what life used to be like. He'd take walks through the Ruins, make butterscotch pies, hunt for snails...

Sometimes he'd go to Waterfall. There was that statue, and the view of the castle. He tried his best to ignore the story of the war from long ago written on the walls, and especially that drawing of a monster with a human soul. It... brought bad memories.

"Two weeks. ...No way, I must have torn off a few extra..." Asriel could _feel_ himself fading, but just... wasn't.

That day, he visited the garden, Chara's grave. He went there quite a bit. He'd talk to his sibling, as if they could hear him. If he found chocolate during his walks, he'd leave it there. Chocolate was one of the few things Chara missed from the Surface.

No chocolate that day, though. By then, Asriel had gone all the way to the end of the Underground and back. He'd sometimes spend the night at New Home, take care of the flowers there, and sit in the bedroom that was actually his. He'd never stay for long, though. That was the same bedroom where Chara got so sick, and...

"No, don't think that," Asriel scolded, shaking his head. "You made it a month, don't give up now."

By then, Asriel let himself be more hopeful. He still felt himself slipping, his heart getting colder, but just looking through his past life seemed to be making his lingering soul last far longer. He considered going to the Surface, but... couldn't bring himself to. Even if he could last longer there, he didn't even know where everyone was. What if he got lost going down the mountain, or went down the wrong way?

He doubted there was a trail going up to the exit. If there was, people would come into the Underground sometimes. And Asriel was certain that nobody was there with him. Snowdin Town was empty, Waterfall was silent, MTT Resort was out of business, and the capital was abandoned. He'd had more than enough time to check.

It had been two months, before something unexpected happened. When Asriel went to check on Chara, something was there. Something he recognized all too well.

A small red heart, floating, surrounded by a soft glow.

"Wha... Who..." Asriel cautiously approached. He didn't want to take a soul, not anymore. But... this one... it felt familiar. Asriel whispered, "Chara... are you there? Is this... you?"

The soul didn't respond, of course. But Asriel was certain of who it used to be.

"...You're why I'm still here, aren't you?" The monster held a paw over his chest. "I don't have anymore soul, do I? Just you." He smiled. "...Thank you. If... if you can hear me, Chara... I'm sorry." He carefully picked up the soul, careful not to absorb it. "I've kept you here for so long... It's time we went home."

The walk to the capital was uneventful, and slowed by Asriel avoiding any obstacles. He didn't want to trip, and accidentally take his sibling's soul again. Eventually, he made it. His dad had left the seven soul-holders (that was seriously their official name; even Asriel was amazed by his fathers terrible naming skills), and Asriel put Chara's soul into the last one, the one meant for Frisk. Now, he had one less thing to worry about.

"Are you ready, Chara?" The monster held the soul tightly in both hands. "We're going to the Surface. For real, this time."

It was sundown when they left the Underground. Asriel sat down, and watched as the red sun melted away into the night sky, covered in countless stars. It was something he'd never forget.

The walk down the mountain was harder than anticipated. The dirt-and root-covered terrain was far different than the solid stone ground he was used to. And, breathtaking as the night sky was, a little sunlight would have probably made the trip a bit easier. In any case, Asriel was able to make it down Mt. Ebott unharmed.

Now, he was just outside of a small town. He could see a few buildings that looked quite a bit like those in the capital, or in Snowdin Town. The library, the skeleton house... and his home. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Chara, then at the house. "Chara... Looks like we're finally home."


End file.
